The Alliance for American Manufacturing is also promoting Christmas gifts that were made in America. They're already on Day 9, directing us to a website offering American-made greeting cards. Teamsters can support their brothers and sisters in the Graphic Communications Conference (GCC) by looking for cards they make with the "GCC" or "Allied Printing Trades" label. And you can get union-made and union-themed cards at Homestead Cards here.

AAM has other suggestions for American-made gifts: bags and totes from the Hero Bag company, flannel clothing from Vermont Flannel, woollen blankets from Faribault Mill and vintage notebooks from Field Notes (we like the County Fair series).

Go to American Made Matters and you can buy ornaments, hats and T-shirts that say (wait for it) "American Made Matters." You'll also find a long list of companies that make or market products in America. OhSayUSA, for example, features vintage toys like the Slinky, the Duncan Yo-Yo and Sam the Rubber Duck. Wigwam makes socks for sport, work and diabetics. Stormy Kromer makes hats and warm clothing -- and has been since 1903 when George "Stormy" Kromer designed his own while working as an engineer on the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad.

We'll keep suggesting ways to buy union and buy American over the next few weeks. But here's a website to tide you over: a complete guide to American-made toys (you'd be surprised) at americansworking.com.